Ear Acupressure For Smoking Cessation - 1421 Words

Ear Acupressure for Smoking Cessation Smoking is a prevalent problem throughout the United States. It is an addiction and it can be very challenging for individuals to quit. However, through medication and nonpharmacological treatments smoking cessation is possible. One nonpharmacological method that has been researched is using ear acupressure. This paper will discuss the research article Ear Acupressure for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Controlled Trial and how it relates to a hospital patient. People with addictions can have a very difficult time overcoming them. While pharmacological methods have been effective, it is worth it to do research and see if nonpharmacological methods can be more effective. The science of†¦show more content†¦The study aimed to investigate effectiveness and safety of using ear acupressure in smoking cessation. A single acupuncturist was trained to perform the same procedures during each consultation and did not discuss any aspect of the procedures with participants to ens ure blinding and treatment consistency. Participants were recruited using the local newspaper advertisements, posters and the RMIT University website which led to a very large sample size. This is appropriate for a study of this nature which has an extensive list of exclusion criteria. There were ninety-five smokers that were screened for eligibility for the study, eighteen failed to meet inclusion criteria, ten did not wish to participate, twelve were unable to participate, and twelve were unable to be reached after the screening process (Anthony, Yuan Ming, Worsnop, May, Cliff Da, Charlie, 2013). The reliability of a study refers to the study’s consistency and that repeated measures produced similar measurement values. The validity of a study is determined by the degree in which an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure (Burns, Grove, Gray, pp.287-290, 2015). This study however, did not determine either validity or reliability. The inclusion criteria were individuals who were 18 and older, smoked more than ten cigarettes per day for a year or greater, and the intention to quit smoking on an agreed date. The exclusion criteria was: any pathological condition of the ear;

Biography of Horace Greeley

The legendary editor Horace Greeley was one of the most influential Americans of the 1800s. He founded and edited the New York Tribune, a  substantial and very popular newspaper of the period. Greeleys opinions, and his daily decisions on what constituted news impacted American life for decades. He was not an ardent abolitionist, yet he was opposed to slavery, and he was involved in the founding of the Republican Party in the 1850s. When Abraham Lincoln came to New York City in early 1860 and essentially began his run for the presidency with his address at Cooper Union, Greeley was in the audience. He became a supporter of Lincoln, and at times, especially in the early years of the Civil War, something of a Lincoln antagonist. Greeley eventually ran as a major candidate for president in 1872, in an ill-fated campaign which left him in very poor health. He died soon after losing the 1872 election. He wrote countless editorials and several books, and is perhaps best known for a famous quote he probably did not originate: â€Å"Go west, young man.† A Printer in His Youth Horace Greeley was born on February 3, 1811, in Amherst, New Hampshire. He received irregular schooling, typical of the time, and became an apprentice at a newspaper in Vermont as a teenager. Mastering the skills of a printer, he worked briefly in Pennsylvania and then moved to New York at the age of 20. He found a job as a newspaper compositor, and within two years he and a friend opened their own print shop. In 1834, with another partner, Greeley founded a magazine, the New Yorker,  a journal devoted to literature, the arts and sciences. The New York Tribune For seven years he edited his magazine, which was generally unprofitable. During this period he also worked for the emerging Whig Party. Greeley wrote leaflets, and at times edited a newspaper, the Daily Whig. Encouraged by some prominent Whig politicians, Greeley founded the New York Tribune in 1841, when he was 30. For the next three decades, Greeley would edit the newspaper, which came to have a profound influence on the national debate. The dominant political issue of the day, of course, was slavery, which Greeley adamantly and vocally opposed. A Prominent Voice in American Life Greeley was personally offended by the sensationalist newspapers of the period and worked to make the New York Tribune a  credible newspaper for the masses. He sought out good writers and is said to be the first newspaper editor to provide bylines for writers. And Greeley’s own editorials and commentaries drew enormous attention. Though Greeley’s political background was with the fairly conservative Whig Party, he advanced opinions which deviated from Whig orthodoxy. He supported womens rights and labor and opposed monopolies. He hired early feminist  Margaret Fuller to write for the Tribune, making her the first female newspaper columnist in New York City. Greeley Shaped Public Opinion in the 1850s In the 1850s Greeley published editorials denouncing slavery, and eventually supported full abolition. Greeley wrote denunciations of the Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott Decision. A weekly edition of the Tribune  was shipped westward, and it was very popular in rural parts of the country. Its believed that Greeleys hardening opposition to slavery helped shape public opinion in the decade leading up to the Civil War. Greeley became one of the founders of the Republican Party and was present as a delegate at its organizing convention in 1856. Greeleys Role in Lincolns Election At the 1860 Republican Party convention, Greeley was denied a seat in the New York delegation because of feuds with local officials. He somehow arranged to be seated as a delegate from Oregon and sought to block the nomination of New York’s William Seward, a former friend. Greeley supported the candidacy of Edward Bates, who had been a prominent member of the Whig Party. But the tempestuous editor eventually put his influence behind Abraham Lincoln. Greeley Challenged  Lincoln Over Slavery During the Civil War Greeley’s attitudes were controversial. He originally believed the southern states should be allowed to secede, but he eventually came to support the war fully. In August 1862 he published an editorial titled â€Å"The Prayer of Twenty Millions† that called for the emancipation of the slaves. The title of the famed editorial was typical of Greeleys presumptuous nature, as it indicated that the entire population of the northern states shared his beliefs. Lincoln Responded  Publicly to Greeley Lincoln wrote a response, which was printed on the front page of the New York Times on August 25, 1862. It contained an oft-quoted passage: â€Å"If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.† By that time, Lincoln had decided to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. But he would wait until he could claim military victory after the Battle of Antietam in September before proceeding Controversy at the End of the Civil War Horrified by the human cost of the Civil War, Greeley advocated peace negotiations, and in 1864, with Lincoln’s approval, he traveled to Canada to meet with Confederate emissaries. The potential thus existed for peace talks, but nothing came of Greeleys efforts. After the war Greeley offended a number of readers by advocating amnesty for Confederates, even going so far as to pay for a bail bond for Jefferson Davis. Troubled Later Life When Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868 Greeley was a supporter. But he became disillusioned, feeling Grant was too close to New York political boss Roscoe Conkling. Greeley wanted to run against Grant, but the Democratic Party was not interested in having him as a candidate. His ideas helped to form the new Liberal Republican Party, and he was the party’s candidate for president in 1872. The 1872 campaign was particularly dirty, and Greeley was viciously criticized and mocked. He lost the election to Grant, and it took a terrible toll on him. He was committed to a mental institution, where he died on November 29, 1872. Greeley is best remembered today for a quote from an 1851 editorial in the New York Tribune: Go west, young man. It has been said that Greeley thus inspired many thousands to set out for the frontier. The most likely story behind the famous quote is that Greeley had reprinted, in the New York Tribune, an editorial by John B.L. Soule which contained the line, Go west, young man, go west. Greeley never claimed to have coined the original phrase, though he later expanded upon it by writing an editorial with the phrase, Go west young man, and grow up with the country. And over time the original quote was usually attributed to Greeley.

Merchant of Venice Mercy and Justice Free Essays

Ever been in a situation where you do not know whether to be fair or bend the rules a bit? In The Merchant of Venice, mercy and justice are the continuing predominant themes. Situations occur, that doing the just act does not seem to be correct or the right thing to do. Technically, the correct thing to do is to follow and abide by justice and the law. We will write a custom essay sample on Merchant of Venice: Mercy and Justice or any similar topic only for you Order Now For in this case, justice means the taking of a man’s life for the greed and sick revenge of another man. One of the true morals in this play is to be careful for what you wish for. Just as Shylock asked for justice, and in the end, justice was served. Throughout The Merchant of Venice, the themes of mercy and justice are continuously contradicting when it comes to Shylock’s situation with Antonio, in the court scene. In the play, Shylock has a deep desire for his bond to be satisfied and justice to prevail. In this Shakespearian time period, Jews are looked down upon. They are not treated as equals to the Christians. Shylock had a well justified reason to hate Antonio after Antonio would treat Shylock like a dog and spit upon him. Shylock said that Antonio’s reason for disrespect is because he is a Jew.Shylock talked of how Jews and Christians are the same thing, except they follow different beliefs. Once Antonio admits he cannot repay his debt, Shylock is eager for his bond and justice. However never did he show mercy, even towards his own daughter, he said, â€Å"I would my / daughter were dead at my foot and the jewels in her / ear; would she were hearsed at my foot and the / ducats in her coffin,† (III. 1. 87-90). Since he lacked mercy and kindness, he was shown no mercy when Antonio was to set his demands. Antonio begged for mercy and said, â€Å"I pray thee, hear me speak,† (III. 3. 12).Shylock showed no mercy for Antonio and persisted that he will have his bond. Solanio reassures Antonio that the Duke will not abide to a contract of this nature. Antonio replied saying that, â€Å"The Duke cannot deny the course of law,† (III. 3. 29). That is where the justice falls into play, if the Duke does not allow Shylock’s pound of flesh to be taken, then the whole Venetian courts and government would be a disgrace. This meant that for the trial to be fair, the bond will need to be satisfied. It looked bad for Antonio, until Portia came dressed as Balthazar, a lawyer. Portia’s first approach was to ask Shylock to be merciful.Shylock however was disgusted by the idea like proven before. Portia talks of God and how Christians beg for mercy to reach salvation. She said that, â€Å"Therefore, Jew, / Through justice be thy plea, consider this: / That in the course of justice none of us / Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy, / And that same prayer doth teach us all to render / The deeds of mercy,† (IV. 1. 203-208). Being as deliberate and stubborn as he is he said that â€Å"My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, / The penalty and forfeit of my bond,† (IV. 1. 212-213). After that plan fails, Portia tells Shylock that Bassanio is offering nine thousand ducats.Portia tells Shylock, â€Å"there’s thrice thy money offered thee,† (IV. 1. 235). The stubborn and immovable Shylock insists on his bond even after three times the original three-thousand ducats are offered to him. Finally, Portia agrees to Shylock’s demands and tells him to cut and retrieve his one pound of flesh. Just before he starts the process she brought up a very significant point to be noticed that changes the fate of the whole trial let alone Antonio’s life. She said, â€Å"This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood / The words are expressly are a pound of flesh,† (IV. . 319-320). She points out that the contract specifically said a pound of flesh not including blood. She follows to say, â€Å"if thou dost shed / One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods / Are by the laws of Venice confiscate / Unto the state of Venice,† (IV. 1. 322-325). The second Shylock heard this part of the contract, he immediately took his words back. He said, â€Å"I take this offer then. Pay the bond thrice / And let the Christian go,† (IV. 1. 332-334). He has taken back his lust for justice and wants his money back so he can just leave.Portia however makes his situation worse for Shylock by bringing out more laws that get Shylock in bad situations. She insists that Antonio’s flesh be cut and given to Shylock. Portia as her final attack at Shylock said to the court, â€Å"If it be proved against an alien / That by direct or indirect attempts / He seek the life of any citizen / The party ‘gainst the which he doth contrive / Shall seize one half his goods; the other half / Comes to the privy coffer of the state / And the offender’s life lies in the mercy / Of the Duke only, ‘gainst all other voice,† (IV. . 364-371). It turned out to be very ironic how Shylock had held grasp of someone’s life and now his life is in the hands of the Duke. Antonio begged Shylock to rethink the contract and be merciful. Now Shylock is asking for mercy and half of his property and goods is going to the very man he swore an oath to kill. It is very funny how such a small missed detail caused such a great deal of events to occur. Portia then asked Antonio, â€Å"What mercy can you render him, Antonio? † (IV. 1. 394).In the end of the great turn of events, Shylock is forced to agree the terms that he will give his money to Jessica and Lorenzo, he will make a will leaving everything to Jessica and Lorenzo, and finally he will become a Christian. The major themes shown are clearly and evidently in the play, especially when Portia is able to use the desire for Shylock’s justice to her advantage and turn the tables on the old Jew. Not only does she free Antonio, but she did the whole case legally and with tremendous justice but lacking mercy. Just as Shylock showed no mercy towards Antonio, he was rendered no mercy either. How to cite Merchant of Venice: Mercy and Justice, Papers

Innovation And Growth

Question: Critically evaluate the various dimensions of Innovation and the drivers that contribute to the growth of small start-up entrepreneurs? Answer: Introduction Economist Schumpeter contributed greatly for the concept of innovation and entre Innovation means generating a new idea, products or application, which is a value add to customers. Innovation helps in better serving the customers, by improving the quality of product or service and meeting their expectations and needs, for which they are ready to pay. For a business perspective, innovation acts as a catalyst to growth. Innovation can be of different types. Innovation can be done in the processes of the company, offering to the customers, their delivery channel, brand positioning, marketing channels, business model and supply chain. preneurship. One of the most common themes inSchumpeters writing was the role of innovation (new combination) and entrepreneurship in economic growth.He believed that innovation is the key driver for competition and those who wants to increase their profits should innovate continuously. According to Schumpeter, the customer needs does not play a role in the development. For economic development structural changes needs to be incorporated along with the innovative techniques. According to him, there are 5 types of innovations that can be done: Introducing a completely new product in the market or an advance version of the product existing in the market. Revolutionize the production process by introducing new, innovative techniques along with innovative sales and marketing methods. Acquiring new markets, which were not tapped. Innovation in supply chain by procuring raw material from a new source, different logistics etc. New structure of the industry. Schumpeter defined innovation as, a process of industrial mutation, that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, and incessantly creating a new one (Drucker, 2014). This means that through innovation they will be continuous technological advancements, which will destroy and replace the old process/ technology. He coined a term creative destruction, which means a new thing will destroy something old. This will be a key driver for the transformation of the economic structure and sustained growth. Need of Innovation for the sustenance and growth of small companies The characteristics of a successful entrepreneur are that he is able to explore new opportunities and is ready to pursue new ventures. He possesses the skills of creativity, innovativeness and ability to take risk (Autio, Kenney, Mustar, Siegel Wright, 2014). They will deploy new techniques and innovative business models and strategies. Small and Medium Enterprises are considered as the backbone of economic growth of the country. They have contributed significantly for the economic development of the company by giving more employment opportunities, product outputs, exports etc. (Love Roper, 2015). But for small companies, in order to survive in the market they need to constantly perform well, give quality products as well as generate profits and expand. It has become imperative for the small companies to hone their capabilities and competency. They need to develop new technologies and strategies for the improvement of their output efficiency and marketing their products and service s. For their development small companies need to constantly create and introduce innovation in their techniques. Innovation and product differentiation will help small companies stand out from the crowd. This will help them create a loyal customer base. Key Drivers of Innovation Human Resource: Managing a workforce with skills to innovate is very crucial. Employees with different skills are required for product innovation and exploring different strategies. Technical and managerial skills are required at various developmental stages of a project and its commercialization. Skill development can also be done for the employee to make them capable of doing innovation. Research and Development: In house Research and Development plays a very important role in creating innovative technologies and processes for the firms. The capability of Research and Development is very crucial for the companies to incorporate innovative techniques and processes in their projects. Research and Development are important as they can create new knowledge that will help in innovation. Secondly, they also help in accessing and absorbing the knowledge from outside which is also very important for the innovation with in the organization and to maintain competitiveness with the rival companies (O'Cass Sok, 2013). Investment in the infrastructure: It is very important for firms to update their equipment and technologies by making investments. Especially in small companies who may face resource constraints, it is better to purchase new equipment and technologies, which can result very crucial in innovation. Design: This is a very important contributor for the success of any innovation. Emphasis is laid on designing a wide range of innovative products with improved functionality and value. There is a positive relationship between investments in design and the output. But in small companies, design is not perceived as crucial as technology. It as considered as an expensive, time and resource consuming activity only. But by outsourcing the design resources, small companies can inculcate this practice. Management of Intellectual Property: Patents and copyright of innovative techniques is very crucial for any business. But smaller companies face problems, as the cost of IP protection and registration is very high. But for the small firms who are RD intensive, patenting is very important for getting customers and attracting seed investments. Other small companies, instead of patenting, focus more on the speed to market their product. Innovative Strategies: When it comes to innovative strategy, the state of knowledge can be thought of as inconsistence in theories, knowledge gaps and conflict in the predictions. Following are the few innovation strategies which are popular among small companies: First is the selection between open and closed innovation and the way to develop the knowledge base of the company. For small companies, open model are more favored models for innovation. Specially, when it comes to collaboration along the supply chain of the firm. Such collaboration will not only help in the development of innovation but will also help the small companies to sustain this success. These strategies may also help smaller companies to extend their spectrum of knowledge and improve their performances. Second is the explicit strategy of the company, planning, organization and marketing their products/ services. Improving Knowledge and resourcing from outside the organization: Firms (specially their Research Development department) should be open to gather information and knowledge from the external world to incorporate in their research to develop innovative techniques. Top management or strategy makers can also look what strategies the rival companies have adopted and based on that formulate an improvised, innovative strategy for the business. For the purpose of knowledge transfer, partnership up with the large firms can also be done. Similarly, small companies face a resource constraint, which may hamper their ability to develop innovative techniques and strategies. These companies can outsource the resources, which will substantially bring down the pressure of resources from them and the companies can focus more on their core business and do innovation in that field. Government Policies: Policies laid by the government plays a crucial driver for the companies for adopting innovative techniques. Government actions can acts both as enabler or a barrier for the companies to do design and implement innovative techniques/ strategies. Diversity of the employees: Studies have shown a relationship between diversity of employees and innovation. There has been a positive relationship between innovation, educational diversity, cultural diversity and gender diversity of the employees. These factors are especially crucial in the initial stages of a project or the company. Business Partnership or funding: Partnering up with other businesses or funding through private equity will not only brings finance to the company but also expertise and experience of professionals from diverse companies. This will enhance the products/ service development and the value creation of the company. This venture can also help in improving the processes of the company and other future associations. Conclusion Small companies are very important for the growth of economy. In order to survive in the market they constantly need to innovate and develop to get a competitive edge over their competitors. There are internal and external drivers that contribute to the success of small companies. The main internal drivers of innovation are the resources available with the companies be it human resource, knowledge, financial resource, infrastructure or supply chain. The internal resources should create the knowledge repository for the company and develop innovative technologies and strategies. Also, they should spend sufficiently to create infrastructure to carry out processes for innovation. If company is short on their resources they approach external sources to fulfill their requirement be it of knowledge, technology, design or support. Also, government policies play a very crucial role in deciding the fate of innovation. Supporting policies allow the companies to do experiments and come out with new product/ service offerings. References: Autio, E., Kenney, M., Mustar, P., Siegel, D., Wright, M. (2014). Entrepreneurial innovation: The importance of context.Research Policy,43(7), 1097-1108. Drucker, P. (2014).Innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge. Love, J. H., Roper, S. (2015). SME innovation, exporting and growth: A review of existing evidence.International Small Business Journal,33(1), 28-48. O'Cass, A., Sok, P. (2013). The role of intellectual resources, product innovation capability, reputational resources and marketing capability combinations in SME growth.International Small Business Journal, 0266242613480225.